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The Great Escape
With only their bare hands and the crudest of homemade tools, they sank shafts, built underground railroads, forged passports, drew maps, faked weapons, and tailored German uniforms and civilian clothes.
They developed a fantastic security system to protect themselves from the German "ferrets" who prowled the compounds with nerve-racking tenacity and suspicion.
It was a split-second operation as delicate and as deadly as a time bomb. It demanded the concentrated devotion and vigilance of more than six hundred men — every single one of them, every minute, every hour, every day, and every night for more than a year.
264 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1950
162 people are currently reading
7530 people want to read
About the author
Paul Brickhill
44 books68 followersFrom Rosetta Books:
Though The Great Escape is a novel, its basic story is true, and the novel's author Paul Brickhill (1916-91) was a participant in it. Brickhill, an Australian, had flown missions against the Germans in Tunisia for the Royal Australian Air Force when he was shot down in 1943. Locked away and bored in Silesia in Luft Stalag III, he and his fellow prisoners concocted an escape plan -- a daring idea that would result in a mass escape from the Germans. Of the 76 officers who escaped, only three were successful; Hitler himself ordered the execution of 47 of the men who were recaptured. Still, the escape remains one of the great heroic stories of World War II.
A native of Melbourne, Brickhill had begun a career as a newspaper reporter at the Sydney Sun when war was declared in 1939. His instincts as a reporter stuck with him during his incarceration by the Germans, as he collected stories from his fellow prisoners that became the foundation for his later work. After the war, Brickhill sought to go back to newspapering, but quickly abandoned it to begin work on his first book, entitled Escape to Danger (1946), about his experiences in the POW camp. From this, he drew the story of The Great Escape, published four years later.
The following year, Brickhill published The Dam Busters, an acclaimed account of pinpoint bombing raids by the 617 Squadron, followed by an anthology of POW stories entitled Escape or Die (1952) and Reach for the Sky (1954) a biography of aviator Douglas Bader.
Though The Great Escape is a novel, its basic story is true, and the novel's author Paul Brickhill (1916-91) was a participant in it. Brickhill, an Australian, had flown missions against the Germans in Tunisia for the Royal Australian Air Force when he was shot down in 1943. Locked away and bored in Silesia in Luft Stalag III, he and his fellow prisoners concocted an escape plan -- a daring idea that would result in a mass escape from the Germans. Of the 76 officers who escaped, only three were successful; Hitler himself ordered the execution of 47 of the men who were recaptured. Still, the escape remains one of the great heroic stories of World War II.
A native of Melbourne, Brickhill had begun a career as a newspaper reporter at the Sydney Sun when war was declared in 1939. His instincts as a reporter stuck with him during his incarceration by the Germans, as he collected stories from his fellow prisoners that became the foundation for his later work. After the war, Brickhill sought to go back to newspapering, but quickly abandoned it to begin work on his first book, entitled Escape to Danger (1946), about his experiences in the POW camp. From this, he drew the story of The Great Escape, published four years later.
The following year, Brickhill published The Dam Busters, an acclaimed account of pinpoint bombing raids by the 617 Squadron, followed by an anthology of POW stories entitled Escape or Die (1952) and Reach for the Sky (1954) a biography of aviator Douglas Bader.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 608 reviews
April 14, 2024
"...There is nothing that can stop a group of men, regardless of race, creed, color or nationality from achieving a goal once they agree as to what that goal is. The aftermath may be sheer, stark tragedy but the point is, men working together can accomplish anything."
-George Harsh
The Great Escape is an intimate account about a group of Allied airmen’s meticulous planning and executing an escape from Stalag Luft III, a German POW camp in 1944.
After a year of digging tunnels, facing great difficulties under the watchful eyes of the prison guards and spies, 76 prisoners escape, only for 73 of them to be recaptured. 50 of the recaptured were shot by the Gestapo. Only three of the escapees made it home, safely.
Thank you, Chris, for recommending the book to me. It was certainly eye-opening and inspiring. 😊
-George Harsh
The Great Escape is an intimate account about a group of Allied airmen’s meticulous planning and executing an escape from Stalag Luft III, a German POW camp in 1944.
After a year of digging tunnels, facing great difficulties under the watchful eyes of the prison guards and spies, 76 prisoners escape, only for 73 of them to be recaptured. 50 of the recaptured were shot by the Gestapo. Only three of the escapees made it home, safely.
Thank you, Chris, for recommending the book to me. It was certainly eye-opening and inspiring. 😊
September 17, 2018
Written by one of the men who assisted in what is known as the Great Escape, Paul Brickhill's book on the experiences of WWII POWs is tense and at times exhilarating. The detail of the escapes from German prison camps is full of descriptive information that should satisfy the curious. His determination to ferret out the stories of escapees after they left the camps would do any journalist proud. In The Great Escape you feel as if you've received about as full of an account of this famous event as you'll likely ever receive.
March 28, 2010
There is something about the movie The Great Escape. It's more than just Steve McQueen and James Gardner. More than the fact that as you watch the movie, you go, "Look, it's James Coburn. Look, it's Charles Bronson! Look, it's David McCallum! Look, it's Hudson! Look, it's Attenborough. No, the other one!". It's more than that. The Great Escape is one of those that you can't help but watch. You might have seen two days ago, but hey, it's on again, and who doesn't like that motorcycle scene. I've even watched it when it's been shown with commericals. It's like Lawrence of Arabia, except with Lawrence, I know why I watch. OMAR!!!!! Young OMAR!!! When he rides up to the well. Sigh. I love that man in black.
Where was I?
The Great Escape, right. Maybe, it's because the director was smart enough to not have Hilts be one of the prisoners (only three) who escaped. There is something far more heroic about that.
I finally broke down and brought the movie on DVD, getting this book along with it. I was somewhat worried that the book wouldn't be as good as the movie.
I was wrong.
The book was as good as the movie.
I finally found out where that scar on Big X came from.
It is amazing how much of the movie is really, truly based on the book. True, some liberties are taken, such as the Americans and how the fifty are dealt with (both of which are understandable). But still. All the tunnel stories, even the ones that didn't work, are true. It's amazing. (I know, I've used that word too many times). Like the one about the mole tunnel, that was true.
What is even more interesting is what some of the recaptured prisoners had to put up with afterwards. Poor Wings Day. I don't know how he and the other five stood with happened to them.
My only negative comment applies to this edition. A list of people in the begining, like a character list, would've been helpful. There are plenty of people and a copy times, I had to flip back to make sure I had people straight.
Yet despite this, the book is a testimony to man's ingeunity and resilance. It illustrates what goes on at many different levels of command and how determined people can get something amazing done.
Where was I?
The Great Escape, right. Maybe, it's because the director was smart enough to not have Hilts be one of the prisoners (only three) who escaped. There is something far more heroic about that.
I finally broke down and brought the movie on DVD, getting this book along with it. I was somewhat worried that the book wouldn't be as good as the movie.
I was wrong.
The book was as good as the movie.
I finally found out where that scar on Big X came from.
It is amazing how much of the movie is really, truly based on the book. True, some liberties are taken, such as the Americans and how the fifty are dealt with (both of which are understandable). But still. All the tunnel stories, even the ones that didn't work, are true. It's amazing. (I know, I've used that word too many times). Like the one about the mole tunnel, that was true.
What is even more interesting is what some of the recaptured prisoners had to put up with afterwards. Poor Wings Day. I don't know how he and the other five stood with happened to them.
My only negative comment applies to this edition. A list of people in the begining, like a character list, would've been helpful. There are plenty of people and a copy times, I had to flip back to make sure I had people straight.
Yet despite this, the book is a testimony to man's ingeunity and resilance. It illustrates what goes on at many different levels of command and how determined people can get something amazing done.
Want to read
September 29, 2020The book was based on a true story of escaping prisoners of war from a German camp,during WW II.The film deviates somewhat from the book.
Still,very good entertainment and a memorable ending.Star studded cast headed by Steve McQueen and James Garner,among others.
Still,very good entertainment and a memorable ending.Star studded cast headed by Steve McQueen and James Garner,among others.
September 10, 2019
I remember watching the movie version, so as I started reading the book I had an outline of what would happen.
image:
The first Book versus Movie Law states that;
The Book is always better than the Movie.
And "The Great Escape" proved the Law right.
image:
Here I was told all the details for all the preparation that went on long before the first POW came out of the tunnel.
First published in 1950 memories of the war must have been fresh in the author's mind. He describes everyone as what they did and did not fall prey to sweeping cultural stereotypes. All the scenes are told from his viewpoint and that of the POWs.
image:
I don't usually like historical war books, but "The Great Escape" was brilliant!
Enjoy!
image:
The first Book versus Movie Law states that;
The Book is always better than the Movie.
And "The Great Escape" proved the Law right.
image:
Here I was told all the details for all the preparation that went on long before the first POW came out of the tunnel.
First published in 1950 memories of the war must have been fresh in the author's mind. He describes everyone as what they did and did not fall prey to sweeping cultural stereotypes. All the scenes are told from his viewpoint and that of the POWs.
image:
I don't usually like historical war books, but "The Great Escape" was brilliant!
Enjoy!
January 18, 2025
La gran evasión
Otro libro con una película famosa de los años sesenta. Siempre será recordada la escena de Steve McQueen en la moto, algo propio de la película. La novela es otra cosa.
Basada en una historia real, la novela cuenta como un grupo de prisioneros de guerra durante la segunda guerra mundial, la mayoría oficiales de las fuerzas aéreas aliadas, trata durante años de evadirse de los diferentes campos de reclusión a los que son llevados.
La narración se centra en unos pocos protagonistas que son los que manejan los tiempos y estrategias de las diferentes planes de fuga en los que siempre están metidos.
La mayor parte de la novela se centra en la preparación de estos planes de fuga que consisten en la excavación de túneles hasta más allá de las alambradas del campo de prisioneros.
Quizás lo más interesante de esta historia son los preparativos de los medios para la fuga. Cómo se hacen los túneles. En un campo con cientos de prisioneros siempre hay gente con habilidades extraordinarias que consiguen todo tipo de herramientas. La verdad es que es sorprendente las cosas que hicieron viendo la posibilidad de escapar de su reclusión.
Otro libro con una película famosa de los años sesenta. Siempre será recordada la escena de Steve McQueen en la moto, algo propio de la película. La novela es otra cosa.
Basada en una historia real, la novela cuenta como un grupo de prisioneros de guerra durante la segunda guerra mundial, la mayoría oficiales de las fuerzas aéreas aliadas, trata durante años de evadirse de los diferentes campos de reclusión a los que son llevados.
La narración se centra en unos pocos protagonistas que son los que manejan los tiempos y estrategias de las diferentes planes de fuga en los que siempre están metidos.
La mayor parte de la novela se centra en la preparación de estos planes de fuga que consisten en la excavación de túneles hasta más allá de las alambradas del campo de prisioneros.
Quizás lo más interesante de esta historia son los preparativos de los medios para la fuga. Cómo se hacen los túneles. En un campo con cientos de prisioneros siempre hay gente con habilidades extraordinarias que consiguen todo tipo de herramientas. La verdad es que es sorprendente las cosas que hicieron viendo la posibilidad de escapar de su reclusión.
January 8, 2023
//This book chronicles prison escape attempts made by POW’s during WW2. One of which is the author, who assisted in the Great Escape. //
After reading the book, it is hard to imagine the utter anguish these prisoners had to go through. Day in and day out, you dig, plot, plan, engineer, starve, scrounge, and beat yourself down both mentally and physically with one common goal in mind. To escape. As you read, you will learn about how the POWs made clothing, how they made papers, how they tunneled, how they setup watch posts, and how a large chunk ultimately got out under the wire.
I would definitely recommend it.
─────── 5 ★'s ───────
After reading the book, it is hard to imagine the utter anguish these prisoners had to go through. Day in and day out, you dig, plot, plan, engineer, starve, scrounge, and beat yourself down both mentally and physically with one common goal in mind. To escape. As you read, you will learn about how the POWs made clothing, how they made papers, how they tunneled, how they setup watch posts, and how a large chunk ultimately got out under the wire.
I would definitely recommend it.
─────── 5 ★'s ───────
August 9, 2016
Executive Summary: The rare case where I probably like the movie better than the book. It's a fascinating tale, but I found parts of it rather slow. 3.5 Stars.
Audiobook: Robert Whitfield does a good job with this. Nonfiction can be a challenge, because if the subject matter isn't very good, an audio book can sound more like a lecture. Even during the parts of this book I found slow, I felt that Mr. Whitfield did a good job.
Full Review
I've been on a bit of a "classic" movie kick the last year or two, so I only just watched The Great Escape recently. I snagged this because of a sale after enjoying the movie, because the book is almost always better than the movie. This however, was a rare case when it wasn't.
I suspect that won't be true for everyone. I like history, but it's not a subject I read about much. I tend to prefer documentaries or dramatizations instead. The story in this book, about an elaborate plan to build not one but three tunnels to escape a German camp during World War Two sounds so incredible that it just screams movie plot.
I found the early going with a lot of the background information rather dry and slow. I imagine history buffs will find that more interesting than I did. I tend to forget names just as soon as I learn them however. Once the meat of the plan got going, I found it quite a fascinating read.
It's by no means a long book. Running around 7.5 hours. The movie is nearly 3. For me personally, I think the movie did a better job in showing the best parts, and cutting out some of the less interesting ones. Your mileage may vary. Either way I'm glad I read the story, but I'd probably recommend renting the movie instead.
Audiobook: Robert Whitfield does a good job with this. Nonfiction can be a challenge, because if the subject matter isn't very good, an audio book can sound more like a lecture. Even during the parts of this book I found slow, I felt that Mr. Whitfield did a good job.
Full Review
I've been on a bit of a "classic" movie kick the last year or two, so I only just watched The Great Escape recently. I snagged this because of a sale after enjoying the movie, because the book is almost always better than the movie. This however, was a rare case when it wasn't.
I suspect that won't be true for everyone. I like history, but it's not a subject I read about much. I tend to prefer documentaries or dramatizations instead. The story in this book, about an elaborate plan to build not one but three tunnels to escape a German camp during World War Two sounds so incredible that it just screams movie plot.
I found the early going with a lot of the background information rather dry and slow. I imagine history buffs will find that more interesting than I did. I tend to forget names just as soon as I learn them however. Once the meat of the plan got going, I found it quite a fascinating read.
It's by no means a long book. Running around 7.5 hours. The movie is nearly 3. For me personally, I think the movie did a better job in showing the best parts, and cutting out some of the less interesting ones. Your mileage may vary. Either way I'm glad I read the story, but I'd probably recommend renting the movie instead.
April 13, 2019
The Great Escape by Paul Brickhill. My copy was a Blackstone audio book and the narrator was excellent. This is a true story taking place in a POW camp near Berlin in WW II. There were 10000 + prisoners held at Stalag 3, all officers from US, Poland, UK, Australia, Russia, France and others, in 1944, and a master plan to escape was implemented. There had been many other attempts before, but this one worked. About 100 escaped before the plot was discovered. Hitler was irate and ordered the execution of half or 50 of the escapees. This of course was against the Geneva Convention as to the treatment of POW’s.
The author was a prisoner there and wrote from first hand knowledge. The writing was very detailed in the step by step process of digging the tunnels, creation of forged documents, false uniforms, etc., which took away from the overall significance of what they did and why they did it. The primary purpose of the escape was the ensuing manhunt which took thousands of German resources away from the war effort. Secondly it was the duty of every officer to continue to attempt escape regardless of the consequences. And third, they all wanted the chance to go home.
There was a movie made years ago. Hollywood took a lot of liberties and not much about the movie was accurate.
The author was a prisoner there and wrote from first hand knowledge. The writing was very detailed in the step by step process of digging the tunnels, creation of forged documents, false uniforms, etc., which took away from the overall significance of what they did and why they did it. The primary purpose of the escape was the ensuing manhunt which took thousands of German resources away from the war effort. Secondly it was the duty of every officer to continue to attempt escape regardless of the consequences. And third, they all wanted the chance to go home.
There was a movie made years ago. Hollywood took a lot of liberties and not much about the movie was accurate.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 20, 2021
This is an older book, the copywrite is 1950, and is a first hand account of the events depicted in the 1960's movie starring Steve McQueen (among others).
The author participated in the preparing of the tunnel, but was not one of those who actually got out of Stalag Luft III.
Spoiler Alert - There was no really life Steve McQueen character, though Americans did participate in the planning, digging and other tasks associated with the tunnels and the escape attempts. The American's were transferred to their own compound before the escape was attempted. In fact most of the characters in the movie are composites of real people. The driving force behind the escape attempt was not a composite, but an actual person. The movie keeps his real name and fate. Big X, Roger Bushnel did escape out the tunnel and was executed after being recaptured.
Many of the events in the movie are real, including the main escape tunnel being short of the woods and 50 of the escapees being executed by the Germans. The movie tends to compress the time frame. In actuality, the digging of the tunnels and other preparations for the escape took the better part of a year.
I found this well written and well worth the time spent.
For me this was a 4+ star read.
The author participated in the preparing of the tunnel, but was not one of those who actually got out of Stalag Luft III.
Spoiler Alert - There was no really life Steve McQueen character, though Americans did participate in the planning, digging and other tasks associated with the tunnels and the escape attempts. The American's were transferred to their own compound before the escape was attempted. In fact most of the characters in the movie are composites of real people. The driving force behind the escape attempt was not a composite, but an actual person. The movie keeps his real name and fate. Big X, Roger Bushnel did escape out the tunnel and was executed after being recaptured.
Many of the events in the movie are real, including the main escape tunnel being short of the woods and 50 of the escapees being executed by the Germans. The movie tends to compress the time frame. In actuality, the digging of the tunnels and other preparations for the escape took the better part of a year.
I found this well written and well worth the time spent.
For me this was a 4+ star read.
July 4, 2024
Jun 30, 445pm ~~ Review asap.
Jul 3, 845pm ~~ Another Zapata Reading Club selection, The Great Escape was fascinating and sometimes devastating to read, especially knowing that it was all true.
I had read the book years ago, before GR, but reading it aloud to Marco made it seem so much more vivid. There was one entire chapter that I am surprised he could even understand because I cried so much.
War stinks.
If anyone wants to learn the story that inspired the Steve McQueen movie, read this. Just watch out for Chapter 20.
Jul 3, 845pm ~~ Another Zapata Reading Club selection, The Great Escape was fascinating and sometimes devastating to read, especially knowing that it was all true.
I had read the book years ago, before GR, but reading it aloud to Marco made it seem so much more vivid. There was one entire chapter that I am surprised he could even understand because I cried so much.
War stinks.
If anyone wants to learn the story that inspired the Steve McQueen movie, read this. Just watch out for Chapter 20.
July 24, 2021
I read this as a teenager & loved it, but the details were hazy as that was 45+ years ago. As an audiobook, it was fantastic; well narrated & as amazing as I remembered. What these men managed under the conditions they endured was incredible. They worked as a great team & while things didn't work out as well as they could (Awful for some.) they did manage to tie up an inordinate amount of German resources with their escapes. The big one for which the book is named was incredibly taxing for the Germans.
I'm fairly handy & I make a lot of things from scrap & scratch, so I was particularly interested in some of the passing references to the items that they made. I know nothing of forging documents, but can't imagine how they did such fine jobs for so many with so few, jury-rigged supplies. I marveled at their tailoring & tool making abilities. Simply fantastic.
Over the years I've read some stories about the Japanese & Russian POW camps. The contrast between them & the German ones is stark. While there were quite a few deaths, slim rations, & otherwise harsh conditions, there was also a great deal of restraint on the part of the Germans unlike the others. Part of that was that Germany was one of the first signatories of the Geneva Convention & there was fear of reprisal for their own people held prisoner, (The air war was teaching them that.) but there was also a lot of kinship between them & the officers of the RAF. Many spoke each other's language & had visited or even lived in their countries during peace time. Still, it was horrific & the last days were especially bleak. All this is told in a very sparse, factual manner so the horror of it was somewhat lost on my teenage self.
It's a great book & highly recommended. It was also written at the perfect time. In 1950, the memories were fresh enough & yet had some time to scar. Also, there was time to investigate & piece together the final acts. The horror of not knowing was probably worse for them & they didn't for years.
I'm not going to close this review yet. I watched "The Great Escape" (1963) movie starring Steve McQueen, James Garner, Charles Bronson, James Coburn & many other stars. It had been a while (decades?) since I last saw it. It's a lot more upbeat, but still a great movie. The Wikipedia entry is well worth reading before watching.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gre...
The article highlights some of the great casting since many of the actors had served in WWII & had experiences that made their performances better. For instance, Charles Bronson worked in mines & had claustrophobia, so he was perfect as the Tunnel King who suffered from the same.
It points out that the movie was changed to suit the US audience & many of the factual errors, but again in an understated way. For instance, the weather was always nice in the movie & wasn't in real life, but that doesn't begin to cover things like standing for 7 hours in the cold rain in underwear. McQueen made the Cooler look as if it was easy time. Not hardly. His motorcycle scene, fun as it was, was ridiculous.
It was great seeing it after reading the book It took some of the haunting edge off. I highly recommend both, but in that order.
I'm fairly handy & I make a lot of things from scrap & scratch, so I was particularly interested in some of the passing references to the items that they made. I know nothing of forging documents, but can't imagine how they did such fine jobs for so many with so few, jury-rigged supplies. I marveled at their tailoring & tool making abilities. Simply fantastic.
Over the years I've read some stories about the Japanese & Russian POW camps. The contrast between them & the German ones is stark. While there were quite a few deaths, slim rations, & otherwise harsh conditions, there was also a great deal of restraint on the part of the Germans unlike the others. Part of that was that Germany was one of the first signatories of the Geneva Convention & there was fear of reprisal for their own people held prisoner, (The air war was teaching them that.) but there was also a lot of kinship between them & the officers of the RAF. Many spoke each other's language & had visited or even lived in their countries during peace time. Still, it was horrific & the last days were especially bleak. All this is told in a very sparse, factual manner so the horror of it was somewhat lost on my teenage self.
It's a great book & highly recommended. It was also written at the perfect time. In 1950, the memories were fresh enough & yet had some time to scar. Also, there was time to investigate & piece together the final acts. The horror of not knowing was probably worse for them & they didn't for years.
I'm not going to close this review yet. I watched "The Great Escape" (1963) movie starring Steve McQueen, James Garner, Charles Bronson, James Coburn & many other stars. It had been a while (decades?) since I last saw it. It's a lot more upbeat, but still a great movie. The Wikipedia entry is well worth reading before watching.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gre...
The article highlights some of the great casting since many of the actors had served in WWII & had experiences that made their performances better. For instance, Charles Bronson worked in mines & had claustrophobia, so he was perfect as the Tunnel King who suffered from the same.
It points out that the movie was changed to suit the US audience & many of the factual errors, but again in an understated way. For instance, the weather was always nice in the movie & wasn't in real life, but that doesn't begin to cover things like standing for 7 hours in the cold rain in underwear. McQueen made the Cooler look as if it was easy time. Not hardly. His motorcycle scene, fun as it was, was ridiculous.
It was great seeing it after reading the book It took some of the haunting edge off. I highly recommend both, but in that order.
September 11, 2022
A 7 and a half hour unabridged audiobook.
My first thoughts were about how smart these prisoners were. Real intellectuals with a myriad of skillsets. The movie failed to live up to the book, and also gave a false impression that camp life wasn't bad at all. The reality was the prisoners were constantly hungry, and that helped fuel their drive for freedom. I really enjoyed this book.
My first thoughts were about how smart these prisoners were. Real intellectuals with a myriad of skillsets. The movie failed to live up to the book, and also gave a false impression that camp life wasn't bad at all. The reality was the prisoners were constantly hungry, and that helped fuel their drive for freedom. I really enjoyed this book.
September 21, 2016
This is nonfiction and truly a classic. It was a great read. It was about a prisoner of war camp during WWII. The prisoners all worked together on an elaborate escape scheme. They all knew that not everyone would be able to make the break, but they contributed to the effort the best they could.
If this had been fiction, I think the whole experience would have been fleshed out a little more. But the simple fact that this is nonfiction, makes this even more awe inspiring.
If this had been fiction, I think the whole experience would have been fleshed out a little more. But the simple fact that this is nonfiction, makes this even more awe inspiring.
November 30, 2011
A story enthralled me so much when I was a child, it stays with me to this day. It was an adventure, a tragedy, a drama, a history lesson, and an inspirational tale. And it is all true.
On March 24, 1944, The Great Escape happened in the midst of World War II. The Nazis had captured various British and Commonwealth Airmen over the course of the war, and they had built an "escape proof" Prisoner of War camp to house the most troublesome of the lot. Stalag Luft III was thought to be the answer to these constant, pesky, breaks for freedom. But it did not work out that way. The prisoners banded together and committed the largest break-out ever. And then chaos happened.
Paul Brickhill was an Australian prisoner in the camp and participated in the planning. Years after the war, he wrote The Great Escape, chronicling how the deed was performed, and the troubling aftermath. While he is not a renowned wordsmith or have an elegant style, he tells the journey very authentically with much research on even the most minute of details. The sheer volume of topics Brickhill must cover to accurately convey the time and place and thinking is mind-blowing. Brickhill wrote other books about the war (The Dam Busters is another classic) and had a long career as a journalist. He passed away in 1991 at 74 years of age.
The book was an instant hit and several years later spawned a massive hollywood film in 1963. While purists take issue the liberties taken with the actual facts, the more realistic parts of the movie still bring chills to historians. The inclusion of Americans in the escape is still a sore point, and Steve McQueen's character is a major irritant. Don't ask devotees about the infamous motorcycle chase, it was painful and awful. But I still have it on dvd and the extras are fabulous.
What Brickhill captures so well, and the movie tries somewhat to, is the real story. Stalag Luft III was the place to put these malcontents. And the lead one was Roger Bushell, the genius mastermind behind every aspect of the plan, Big X in the organization. Bushell engineered the social network of the camp towards the one everlasting goal, the mass escape of hundreds of POWs. Teams were assembled, lookouts assigned, systems devised, and scams developed in order to obtain freedom. Passports and identity papers were forged by artists. Makeshift tools were manufactured to dig the tunnels, with the airpump alone being undeniable genius. The trick of getting rid of the tons of excess sands from the tunnels alone necessitated the invention of the famous "trouser bags". Bushell complicated things even more by having three tunnels under construction simultaneously. This was astonishingly difficult to pull off, since escapes were always one tunnel with four men getting out. The tunnels, codenamed Tom, Dick and Harry, were excavated during the year it took to plan The Great Escape. Unfortunately, Tom was discovered by the guards, which cast a gloom over the men for awhile.
Finally The Great Escape happened. Everything was ready and the chance of another setback was ever present. The last machination to cause problems was a miscalculation of the tree line. Harry fell short by quite a distance. The plan went ahead but they were discovered partway through.
At this point, Hitler becomes directly involved. He was angry beyond words at the POWs actions and decided to retaliate. He ordered all the escapees to be executed. Some aides calmed him down and the order was changed. A massive manhunt through Fortress Europe was enacted. Bushell never planned to get even a handful of Airmen home, it was mostly a contribution to the war effort by tying up valuable resources searching for them. Bushell did not know that D-Day was only months away, heralding the end of the war. Maybe his effort helped to distract them. I certainly think so. But the order was still present. And the men were gradually being caught.
Only about eighty men got out of the tunnel that night.
Three managed to reclaim their freedom.
Fifty were executed.
Selected specifically, the men were driven into the countryside and shot. Bushell was among them. The next of kin were told they tried escaping again. No one believed them. The other POWs who were recaptured were sent to other camps, never knowing the fate of the fifty till after the war.
One of the more notorious POWs was known as the Artful Dodger, having multiple escapes under his belt. He was placed in charge of the manhunt for the assassins, and over time, found them all. Many officers involved were found guilty and executed at the Nuremberg Trials. The darkness at the finale of the book showing us these events are only matched for me by The Diary of Anne Frank. Very unsettling. This was depicted very well in The Great Escape Part 2, a 1988 TV miniseries starring Christopher Reeve.
This story has always brought out an interesting moral dilemma inside me. I have always been against capital punishment. I am immensely happy Canada outlawed it decades ago. The concept that the government would kill a citizen, even one who had committed a heinous crime, struck me as a massive overreach of their powers. What if they were wrong? All parts of it disturbed me.
But the fifty are executed. Millions more died in World War II. Anne Frank was killed. This part of me against capital punishment would fall to the wayside, wanting justice for all these deaths, all this tragedy. No reason, no logic, nothing could have been given for this barbaric behavior. I read The Great Escape for the first time when I was ten and it was my initial exposure to the Holocaust. It may have only been fifty murdered, compared to the millions over the course of the war, but it was people I "knew." Someone had to pay. To this day, The Great Escape still reminds me of this moral conundrum. Many stories are meant to disturb, and the ending to this one does still. My feelings about this upheaval were crystallized even more by the thought-provoking 1961 movie Judgement at Nuremberg, starring Spencer Tracy. You will learn alot about yourself by watching this classic. History that will make you think.
The adventure and the galvanizing journey these men endure is inspiring. Their remedies to numerous obstacles will uplift you. The historical minutia will fascinate you. And the deaths of the fifty will resonate with you.
To The Fifty
Scoopriches
P.S. The Great Escape was written by Paul Brickhill and is 265 pages in Hardcover. It was published in 1951 by Faber and Faber Limited. All images copyright Faber and Faber Limited 2011.
P.P.S. The Great Escape movie was released in 1963 and starred Steve McQueen and James Garner.
To Read More Reviews, Check out my blog:
https://scoopsmentalpropaganda.wordpress...
Thank You.
On March 24, 1944, The Great Escape happened in the midst of World War II. The Nazis had captured various British and Commonwealth Airmen over the course of the war, and they had built an "escape proof" Prisoner of War camp to house the most troublesome of the lot. Stalag Luft III was thought to be the answer to these constant, pesky, breaks for freedom. But it did not work out that way. The prisoners banded together and committed the largest break-out ever. And then chaos happened.
Paul Brickhill was an Australian prisoner in the camp and participated in the planning. Years after the war, he wrote The Great Escape, chronicling how the deed was performed, and the troubling aftermath. While he is not a renowned wordsmith or have an elegant style, he tells the journey very authentically with much research on even the most minute of details. The sheer volume of topics Brickhill must cover to accurately convey the time and place and thinking is mind-blowing. Brickhill wrote other books about the war (The Dam Busters is another classic) and had a long career as a journalist. He passed away in 1991 at 74 years of age.
The book was an instant hit and several years later spawned a massive hollywood film in 1963. While purists take issue the liberties taken with the actual facts, the more realistic parts of the movie still bring chills to historians. The inclusion of Americans in the escape is still a sore point, and Steve McQueen's character is a major irritant. Don't ask devotees about the infamous motorcycle chase, it was painful and awful. But I still have it on dvd and the extras are fabulous.
What Brickhill captures so well, and the movie tries somewhat to, is the real story. Stalag Luft III was the place to put these malcontents. And the lead one was Roger Bushell, the genius mastermind behind every aspect of the plan, Big X in the organization. Bushell engineered the social network of the camp towards the one everlasting goal, the mass escape of hundreds of POWs. Teams were assembled, lookouts assigned, systems devised, and scams developed in order to obtain freedom. Passports and identity papers were forged by artists. Makeshift tools were manufactured to dig the tunnels, with the airpump alone being undeniable genius. The trick of getting rid of the tons of excess sands from the tunnels alone necessitated the invention of the famous "trouser bags". Bushell complicated things even more by having three tunnels under construction simultaneously. This was astonishingly difficult to pull off, since escapes were always one tunnel with four men getting out. The tunnels, codenamed Tom, Dick and Harry, were excavated during the year it took to plan The Great Escape. Unfortunately, Tom was discovered by the guards, which cast a gloom over the men for awhile.
Finally The Great Escape happened. Everything was ready and the chance of another setback was ever present. The last machination to cause problems was a miscalculation of the tree line. Harry fell short by quite a distance. The plan went ahead but they were discovered partway through.
At this point, Hitler becomes directly involved. He was angry beyond words at the POWs actions and decided to retaliate. He ordered all the escapees to be executed. Some aides calmed him down and the order was changed. A massive manhunt through Fortress Europe was enacted. Bushell never planned to get even a handful of Airmen home, it was mostly a contribution to the war effort by tying up valuable resources searching for them. Bushell did not know that D-Day was only months away, heralding the end of the war. Maybe his effort helped to distract them. I certainly think so. But the order was still present. And the men were gradually being caught.
Only about eighty men got out of the tunnel that night.
Three managed to reclaim their freedom.
Fifty were executed.
Selected specifically, the men were driven into the countryside and shot. Bushell was among them. The next of kin were told they tried escaping again. No one believed them. The other POWs who were recaptured were sent to other camps, never knowing the fate of the fifty till after the war.
One of the more notorious POWs was known as the Artful Dodger, having multiple escapes under his belt. He was placed in charge of the manhunt for the assassins, and over time, found them all. Many officers involved were found guilty and executed at the Nuremberg Trials. The darkness at the finale of the book showing us these events are only matched for me by The Diary of Anne Frank. Very unsettling. This was depicted very well in The Great Escape Part 2, a 1988 TV miniseries starring Christopher Reeve.
This story has always brought out an interesting moral dilemma inside me. I have always been against capital punishment. I am immensely happy Canada outlawed it decades ago. The concept that the government would kill a citizen, even one who had committed a heinous crime, struck me as a massive overreach of their powers. What if they were wrong? All parts of it disturbed me.
But the fifty are executed. Millions more died in World War II. Anne Frank was killed. This part of me against capital punishment would fall to the wayside, wanting justice for all these deaths, all this tragedy. No reason, no logic, nothing could have been given for this barbaric behavior. I read The Great Escape for the first time when I was ten and it was my initial exposure to the Holocaust. It may have only been fifty murdered, compared to the millions over the course of the war, but it was people I "knew." Someone had to pay. To this day, The Great Escape still reminds me of this moral conundrum. Many stories are meant to disturb, and the ending to this one does still. My feelings about this upheaval were crystallized even more by the thought-provoking 1961 movie Judgement at Nuremberg, starring Spencer Tracy. You will learn alot about yourself by watching this classic. History that will make you think.
The adventure and the galvanizing journey these men endure is inspiring. Their remedies to numerous obstacles will uplift you. The historical minutia will fascinate you. And the deaths of the fifty will resonate with you.
To The Fifty
Scoopriches
P.S. The Great Escape was written by Paul Brickhill and is 265 pages in Hardcover. It was published in 1951 by Faber and Faber Limited. All images copyright Faber and Faber Limited 2011.
P.P.S. The Great Escape movie was released in 1963 and starred Steve McQueen and James Garner.
To Read More Reviews, Check out my blog:
https://scoopsmentalpropaganda.wordpress...
Thank You.
November 24, 2024
I think almost everyone in the UK has heard of The Great Escape and if they are over 30 must surely have seen the film of that name, probably several times. The film is a firm favourite with Brits and an important part of our cultural canon, dealing as it does with British stiff upper lip in the face of adversity, coupled with the will to never give in to captivity. This is the book on which that film was based, and now that I have read it I am even more full of awe and admiration for the prisoners of war (POWs) who managed to pull it off than I was before, if that’s possible.
The author was in the POW camp – Stalag Luft III – along with his comrades, so has first-hand knowledge about what went on. He has done a superb job of writing a history that reads like an adventure story; one that is exciting, nail-biting, heroic but realistic, happy, funny, sad and devastating. The characters involved were human – Allied POWs and German captors alike, and he captures their humanity, sympathy, empathy, politeness and the courtesy shown to ‘the other side’ as brother officers, despite the fact they are enemies. He also shows us the cruelty and barbarism of the Gestapo, which emphasises the whole premise of the war itself: that the Nazis must be beaten at all costs if civilisation is to survive in Europe.
The camp was for officers of aircrew shot down and captured by German forces: RAF and USAAF, as well as Poles, Czechs, French, Dutch, Belgians and other nationalities all fighting the Nazis. It was near Sagan, near Breslau in southern Germany (now Poland), about 60 miles north of the Czech border. In other words, it was in the centre of the Third Reich, given that Nazi Germany was running Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, France, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, and was an ally of Hungary and Romania. To escape from the camp meant that the escapees would have to travel hundreds of miles in occupied territory, passing through multiple checkpoints before reaching a safe haven. They knew that most of them would be recaptured pretty quickly but they took their duty as officers seriously – it was their duty to escape because it forced the Germans to use hundreds of people to track them down, which tied up their resources and caused them problems. On top of that, many had been incarcerated in 1940 and ’41, and after three of four years in captivity these mostly young, fit men were bored, frustrated and going stir-crazy.
I found it utterly amazing how resourceful, creative and skilful these guys were. They not only dug tunnels and thought up other ways of escaping, they manufactured equipment, turned uniforms into civilian suits, forged ID cards, passes and travel warrants, made tools, travel food and stole all manner of things, hiding it all from the guards for months on end despite many searches of their accommodation.
The book goes into a great deal of detail regarding how all this was achieved and the challenges they faced, making this a fascinating and highly readable book – I finished it within a few days. It includes a map and several drawings of the camp and its life made by prisoners at the time, as well as photos taken by and of the Germans. Mine is the Folio Society edition, which is a gorgeous book worthy of the subject. I can’t praise it enough; if you’re interested in psychology, human behaviour, prisons, war or WW2 in general, you can’t fail but to enjoy this book.
The author was in the POW camp – Stalag Luft III – along with his comrades, so has first-hand knowledge about what went on. He has done a superb job of writing a history that reads like an adventure story; one that is exciting, nail-biting, heroic but realistic, happy, funny, sad and devastating. The characters involved were human – Allied POWs and German captors alike, and he captures their humanity, sympathy, empathy, politeness and the courtesy shown to ‘the other side’ as brother officers, despite the fact they are enemies. He also shows us the cruelty and barbarism of the Gestapo, which emphasises the whole premise of the war itself: that the Nazis must be beaten at all costs if civilisation is to survive in Europe.
The camp was for officers of aircrew shot down and captured by German forces: RAF and USAAF, as well as Poles, Czechs, French, Dutch, Belgians and other nationalities all fighting the Nazis. It was near Sagan, near Breslau in southern Germany (now Poland), about 60 miles north of the Czech border. In other words, it was in the centre of the Third Reich, given that Nazi Germany was running Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, France, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, and was an ally of Hungary and Romania. To escape from the camp meant that the escapees would have to travel hundreds of miles in occupied territory, passing through multiple checkpoints before reaching a safe haven. They knew that most of them would be recaptured pretty quickly but they took their duty as officers seriously – it was their duty to escape because it forced the Germans to use hundreds of people to track them down, which tied up their resources and caused them problems. On top of that, many had been incarcerated in 1940 and ’41, and after three of four years in captivity these mostly young, fit men were bored, frustrated and going stir-crazy.
I found it utterly amazing how resourceful, creative and skilful these guys were. They not only dug tunnels and thought up other ways of escaping, they manufactured equipment, turned uniforms into civilian suits, forged ID cards, passes and travel warrants, made tools, travel food and stole all manner of things, hiding it all from the guards for months on end despite many searches of their accommodation.
The book goes into a great deal of detail regarding how all this was achieved and the challenges they faced, making this a fascinating and highly readable book – I finished it within a few days. It includes a map and several drawings of the camp and its life made by prisoners at the time, as well as photos taken by and of the Germans. Mine is the Folio Society edition, which is a gorgeous book worthy of the subject. I can’t praise it enough; if you’re interested in psychology, human behaviour, prisons, war or WW2 in general, you can’t fail but to enjoy this book.
interrupted-or-dnf
March 2, 2017I got the audio because it was the daily deal at Audible and I like the narrator, Simon Vance. Plus, I enjoyed the film version. However, I got distracted and didn't finish listening. It started off with a rambling gloss-over accounting of other prison escapes.
True story behind the WWII movie. Narrated by Simon Vance, under the stage name Robert Whitfield.
From Wikipedia: "The Great Escape is an insider's account written by Australian Paul Brickhill of the 1944 mass escape from the German prisoner of war camp Stalag Luft III for British and Commonwealth airmen. As a prisoner in the camp, he participated in the escape plan but was debarred from the actual escape 'along with three or four others on grounds of claustrophobia'.[1] The introduction to the book is written by George Harsh, an American POW at Stalag Luft III. This book was made into the 1963 film The Great Escape....
Much of the book is focused on Royal Air Force Squadron Leader Roger Bushell, also known as "Big X", including his capture, early escape attempts, and planning of the escape. All the major participants and their exploits are described by Brickhill. Among these are Tim Walenn, the principal forger, who 'gave his factory the code name of "Dean and Dawson", after a British travel agency';[2] Al Hake, the compass maker;[3] Des Plunkett, the ingenious chief map tracer, who made a mimeograph for reproducing maps;[4] and Tommy Guest, who ran a team of tailors.[5] Major John Dodge, who was related by marriage to Winston Churchill, was one of the escapees. The German officers and guards (called 'goons' by the prisoners) included teams of 'ferrets' who crawled about under the huts looking for signs of tunnels. They were carefully watched by teams of POW 'stooges', one of whom was Paul Brickhill, 'boss of a gang of "stooges" guarding the forgers'.[6]
True story behind the WWII movie. Narrated by Simon Vance, under the stage name Robert Whitfield.
From Wikipedia: "The Great Escape is an insider's account written by Australian Paul Brickhill of the 1944 mass escape from the German prisoner of war camp Stalag Luft III for British and Commonwealth airmen. As a prisoner in the camp, he participated in the escape plan but was debarred from the actual escape 'along with three or four others on grounds of claustrophobia'.[1] The introduction to the book is written by George Harsh, an American POW at Stalag Luft III. This book was made into the 1963 film The Great Escape....
Much of the book is focused on Royal Air Force Squadron Leader Roger Bushell, also known as "Big X", including his capture, early escape attempts, and planning of the escape. All the major participants and their exploits are described by Brickhill. Among these are Tim Walenn, the principal forger, who 'gave his factory the code name of "Dean and Dawson", after a British travel agency';[2] Al Hake, the compass maker;[3] Des Plunkett, the ingenious chief map tracer, who made a mimeograph for reproducing maps;[4] and Tommy Guest, who ran a team of tailors.[5] Major John Dodge, who was related by marriage to Winston Churchill, was one of the escapees. The German officers and guards (called 'goons' by the prisoners) included teams of 'ferrets' who crawled about under the huts looking for signs of tunnels. They were carefully watched by teams of POW 'stooges', one of whom was Paul Brickhill, 'boss of a gang of "stooges" guarding the forgers'.[6]
December 24, 2025
Wow. What a ride.
Hogan's Heroes? It really happened. Tunnels. Forgeries. Clothes. Making compasses, rations, and even fake guns, for men to escape. So much more.
The main difference? The Germans were much, much smarter in real life. And, in result, the POWs were, too.
I was riveted to every page, to every escapade, and everything that built toward bigger ones. Some things made me laugh. Others had me talking to complete strangers about the craziness of what just happened. Close to the end... it broke my heart.
An excellent book. Fascinating. Worth the find, and worth the read.
CW:
Cursing, swearing, dirty words
General things you expect with WWII books, especially when the Gestapo gets involved.
Hogan's Heroes? It really happened. Tunnels. Forgeries. Clothes. Making compasses, rations, and even fake guns, for men to escape. So much more.
The main difference? The Germans were much, much smarter in real life. And, in result, the POWs were, too.
I was riveted to every page, to every escapade, and everything that built toward bigger ones. Some things made me laugh. Others had me talking to complete strangers about the craziness of what just happened. Close to the end... it broke my heart.
An excellent book. Fascinating. Worth the find, and worth the read.
CW:
Cursing, swearing, dirty words
General things you expect with WWII books, especially when the Gestapo gets involved.
Read
December 17, 2012The movie based on this book is surprisingly accurate, I must say. Sure it skews the timeline, simplifies the characters and gives the Americans the glory they, unfortunately, were denied, but still, it's quite good.
Oh, the review of this book. In just over two hundred pages, Brickhill manages to tell both an engaging, quick paced tale of escape and to also linger for a decent bit on the people who moved the tale forward, on the ways they planned and schemed, how they made compasses and forged passes, how they tailored clothes and set up the escape hatches. He nails the agony of waiting and the excitement of escape as well as the depression of getting caught.
I'll admit the book is far from perfect and the prose is often perfunctory, but the pace is dead on and the story remains both reverent and faithful with minimal authorial intrusions. This book I highly, highly recommend.
Oh, the review of this book. In just over two hundred pages, Brickhill manages to tell both an engaging, quick paced tale of escape and to also linger for a decent bit on the people who moved the tale forward, on the ways they planned and schemed, how they made compasses and forged passes, how they tailored clothes and set up the escape hatches. He nails the agony of waiting and the excitement of escape as well as the depression of getting caught.
I'll admit the book is far from perfect and the prose is often perfunctory, but the pace is dead on and the story remains both reverent and faithful with minimal authorial intrusions. This book I highly, highly recommend.
February 13, 2013
Its difficult to believe that its not a work of fiction. The book explains in great detail the painstaking efforts taken by the POWs to escape from Stalag Luft-III. Don't expect Steve McQueen motorcycle chases and James Garner style flybys. Hollywood changed the story to make it more flamboyant in the 60's film version of the book. But the real story is here, excellently written by Paul Brickhill who himself was a prisoner at the camp. You almost wish all the POWs could have escaped.
The book also covers the efforts put by RAF to track down the Nazis who murdered the 50 captured POWs as a reprisal measure, something the movie did not cover. The heroism of the POWs can be gauged by the fact that even when the escape failed and many were caught, they started digging another tunnel. Great Story, unputdownable.
The book also covers the efforts put by RAF to track down the Nazis who murdered the 50 captured POWs as a reprisal measure, something the movie did not cover. The heroism of the POWs can be gauged by the fact that even when the escape failed and many were caught, they started digging another tunnel. Great Story, unputdownable.
January 8, 2016
Seeing the movie over 20 times and realizing that many in the film were composites of the actual characters, there still some close similarities, especially to Roger Bartlett/Bushnell "Big X".
This book was written by a prisoner who was there. With that the book truly portrays the true harsh realities of a prison camp life, that is not portrayed in the film. From starvation, to cold, fear, etc.
What these men endured and were able to accomplish was a miracle in and of itself.
I bow my head to the fifty.
If you are interested in WWII, or history, read it.
This book was written by a prisoner who was there. With that the book truly portrays the true harsh realities of a prison camp life, that is not portrayed in the film. From starvation, to cold, fear, etc.
What these men endured and were able to accomplish was a miracle in and of itself.
I bow my head to the fifty.
If you are interested in WWII, or history, read it.
April 21, 2015
The Great Escape is an interesting artifact of the World War II era.
You’re probably at least glancingly familiar with this real life account, originally published in the early ‘50s. Author Paul Brickhill, an Australian airman, spent a few years in a German prisoner of war camp, where he abetted one of the most famous prisoner escapes of the war.
The Great Escape picks up its story in 1943, when a large number of international POWs (including many Brits and Americans) were ensconced in a new German POW camp near the Polish border. One of the interesting facts that The Great Escape establishes early on was that escaping a German POW camp wasn’t especially uncommon. Many POWs managed, some multiple times, via a wide array of methods (tunneling, sneaking out in a truck, cutting through a wire).
The problem wasn’t necessarily escaping a prison. It was getting across a friendly border or stowing away on a ship headed out of Axis territory. Lots of prisoners got out of the camps. Many of them were recaptured and sent back.
The Great Escape details a sprawling project to effect a mass breakout from a prison camp in Sagan, Germany, in the latter years of the war. Quarterbacked by Roger Bushell, a charismatic barrister with several previous escapes to his credit, “Project X” involved the construction of three separate tunnels, a meticulous operation to produce counterfeit documents, a mapmaking effort, a garment sweatshop and numerous other activities designed to not only escape the camp, but to improve the escapees’ chances of actually getting out of Nazi-controlled territory.
The engineering feat involved in constructing these tunnels was impressive. The project dug down deeply enough to avoid the numerous methods the Germans had devised to detect tunnels closer to the surface. How the prisoners figured out the logistics and then scavenged the materials needed to dig and reinforce a lengthy tunnel demonstrates a lot of inspired genius. The Great Escape details numerous practical elements, like how to conceal a tunnel entrance or the elaborate methods devised to disperse the sandy soil displaced from digging. The methods the prisoners improvised to carry out tasks such as printing, manipulating fabric or crafting compasses are astounding in their creativity.
A significant part of The Great Escape is the fraught relationship between the prisoners and the camp guards. A few emerged as nasty, ruthless bastards (nicknamed “ferrets”) who dehumanized the prisoners in various ways. But many of the guards (and the camp’s commandant) showed surprising sympathy for the prisoners. These guards may have been Germans, forced by circumstances into their posts, but they weren’t Nazi supporters and often formed strong attachments to their charges. How the prisoners leveraged those connections to wheedle or barter for supplies, document examples, money, information and other necessaries for the escape effort are fascinating.
Brickhill chronicles the ups and downs of Project X. There were numerous setbacks and near misses, where guards nearly discovered various aspects of the operation (which, at its peak, involved hundreds of the camp’s internees). One of the three tunnels was discovered; seeing how the prisoners dealt with that setback and refocused their efforts communicated the determination and level-headedness necessary to pull off such an audacious stunt.
Ultimately, only 76 prisoners escaped through the completed tunnel, barely a third of the total number intended. Brickhill’s account of the actual escape is one of the book’s high points, tense and suspenseful. The fates of most of the escapees don’t exactly amount to a happy ending. The final chapter focuses on post-war efforts to get justice for escapees victimized by the Nazis in violation of the Geneva Convention.
Brickhill was an able narrator. He had an eye for detail and packed them into his account, sometimes to his detriment. The ingenuity of the prisoners and their inventions is fascinating, but the level of detail can occasionally become distracting. Brickhill had a tendency to wander off into those nitty-gritty technical accounts. The frequent use of slang can be an impediment. And one can only assume that the retention of numerous spelling and grammar errors so many decades after initial publication is a deliberate stylistic choice. But even with those occasional drags, the story Brickhill unfolded was compelling and absorbing, providing a glimpse into a world that most readers thankfully will never experience firsthand.
Because of the large cast of characters involved, very few of them get enough time in the spotlight to make a lasting impression. Bushell emerges the most clearly. Brickhill did a nice job of capturing the dynamism and magnetism that were necessary to inspire hundreds of prisoners to pitch in on an effort that ultimately didn’t benefit most of them directly. Brickhill made a convincing case, though, that escapes were the prisoners’ contribution to the fighting. That diverting significant German resources to chasing and recapturing the escapees was as important as any of them actually making their way to freedom. He managed to elicit enough details about the other prisoners to help readers understand the mindset underlying the operation.
At its best, The Great Escape provides a firsthand glimpse into a fascinating chapter of WW II that’s captured imaginations for decades. For history fans, it’s definitely worth reading, but the story of this colorful, real life caper can hold the interest of most readers.
A version of this review originally appeared on www.thunderalleybcp.com
You’re probably at least glancingly familiar with this real life account, originally published in the early ‘50s. Author Paul Brickhill, an Australian airman, spent a few years in a German prisoner of war camp, where he abetted one of the most famous prisoner escapes of the war.
The Great Escape picks up its story in 1943, when a large number of international POWs (including many Brits and Americans) were ensconced in a new German POW camp near the Polish border. One of the interesting facts that The Great Escape establishes early on was that escaping a German POW camp wasn’t especially uncommon. Many POWs managed, some multiple times, via a wide array of methods (tunneling, sneaking out in a truck, cutting through a wire).
The problem wasn’t necessarily escaping a prison. It was getting across a friendly border or stowing away on a ship headed out of Axis territory. Lots of prisoners got out of the camps. Many of them were recaptured and sent back.
The Great Escape details a sprawling project to effect a mass breakout from a prison camp in Sagan, Germany, in the latter years of the war. Quarterbacked by Roger Bushell, a charismatic barrister with several previous escapes to his credit, “Project X” involved the construction of three separate tunnels, a meticulous operation to produce counterfeit documents, a mapmaking effort, a garment sweatshop and numerous other activities designed to not only escape the camp, but to improve the escapees’ chances of actually getting out of Nazi-controlled territory.
The engineering feat involved in constructing these tunnels was impressive. The project dug down deeply enough to avoid the numerous methods the Germans had devised to detect tunnels closer to the surface. How the prisoners figured out the logistics and then scavenged the materials needed to dig and reinforce a lengthy tunnel demonstrates a lot of inspired genius. The Great Escape details numerous practical elements, like how to conceal a tunnel entrance or the elaborate methods devised to disperse the sandy soil displaced from digging. The methods the prisoners improvised to carry out tasks such as printing, manipulating fabric or crafting compasses are astounding in their creativity.
A significant part of The Great Escape is the fraught relationship between the prisoners and the camp guards. A few emerged as nasty, ruthless bastards (nicknamed “ferrets”) who dehumanized the prisoners in various ways. But many of the guards (and the camp’s commandant) showed surprising sympathy for the prisoners. These guards may have been Germans, forced by circumstances into their posts, but they weren’t Nazi supporters and often formed strong attachments to their charges. How the prisoners leveraged those connections to wheedle or barter for supplies, document examples, money, information and other necessaries for the escape effort are fascinating.
Brickhill chronicles the ups and downs of Project X. There were numerous setbacks and near misses, where guards nearly discovered various aspects of the operation (which, at its peak, involved hundreds of the camp’s internees). One of the three tunnels was discovered; seeing how the prisoners dealt with that setback and refocused their efforts communicated the determination and level-headedness necessary to pull off such an audacious stunt.
Ultimately, only 76 prisoners escaped through the completed tunnel, barely a third of the total number intended. Brickhill’s account of the actual escape is one of the book’s high points, tense and suspenseful. The fates of most of the escapees don’t exactly amount to a happy ending. The final chapter focuses on post-war efforts to get justice for escapees victimized by the Nazis in violation of the Geneva Convention.
Brickhill was an able narrator. He had an eye for detail and packed them into his account, sometimes to his detriment. The ingenuity of the prisoners and their inventions is fascinating, but the level of detail can occasionally become distracting. Brickhill had a tendency to wander off into those nitty-gritty technical accounts. The frequent use of slang can be an impediment. And one can only assume that the retention of numerous spelling and grammar errors so many decades after initial publication is a deliberate stylistic choice. But even with those occasional drags, the story Brickhill unfolded was compelling and absorbing, providing a glimpse into a world that most readers thankfully will never experience firsthand.
Because of the large cast of characters involved, very few of them get enough time in the spotlight to make a lasting impression. Bushell emerges the most clearly. Brickhill did a nice job of capturing the dynamism and magnetism that were necessary to inspire hundreds of prisoners to pitch in on an effort that ultimately didn’t benefit most of them directly. Brickhill made a convincing case, though, that escapes were the prisoners’ contribution to the fighting. That diverting significant German resources to chasing and recapturing the escapees was as important as any of them actually making their way to freedom. He managed to elicit enough details about the other prisoners to help readers understand the mindset underlying the operation.
At its best, The Great Escape provides a firsthand glimpse into a fascinating chapter of WW II that’s captured imaginations for decades. For history fans, it’s definitely worth reading, but the story of this colorful, real life caper can hold the interest of most readers.
A version of this review originally appeared on www.thunderalleybcp.com
June 8, 2020
The cheeky, adventuresome true story of a mass Allied escape from a German POW camp in WW2. And its despicable, murderous aftermath. (Some spoilers ahead, but you probably know more or less how this story ends. It's like the Titanic, almost impossible to come in blind.)
A staggering amount of expertise went into these escapes; it was not just a matter of cleverness and big brass balls. The men brought to bear expertise in engineering, machining, carpentry, materials science, artistry, tailoring, espionage, scavenging, acting, and yes, ingenuity, determination, and the biggest of brass balls.
Despite the genuinely awful circumstances--years spent with Nazi captors, slow starvation, general deprivation--the bulk of the book reads like a grand adventure. The men organize, plan, outwit their Nazi administrators over and over, and construct a tunnel longer than a football field. They manufacture false documents, costumes, identities, and travel rations. They pivot brilliantly when things go wrong, they persevere when all looks lost. It's a jaunty read. Optimistic.
Until we get to the escape itself, which is harrowing to read. The aftermath is sickening. The procedural nature of the epilogue is fascinating, but grim.
Hard to believe this is all more or less true. That elevates the experience of reading it.
A staggering amount of expertise went into these escapes; it was not just a matter of cleverness and big brass balls. The men brought to bear expertise in engineering, machining, carpentry, materials science, artistry, tailoring, espionage, scavenging, acting, and yes, ingenuity, determination, and the biggest of brass balls.
Despite the genuinely awful circumstances--years spent with Nazi captors, slow starvation, general deprivation--the bulk of the book reads like a grand adventure. The men organize, plan, outwit their Nazi administrators over and over, and construct a tunnel longer than a football field. They manufacture false documents, costumes, identities, and travel rations. They pivot brilliantly when things go wrong, they persevere when all looks lost. It's a jaunty read. Optimistic.
Until we get to the escape itself, which is harrowing to read. The aftermath is sickening. The procedural nature of the epilogue is fascinating, but grim.
Hard to believe this is all more or less true. That elevates the experience of reading it.
February 25, 2015
I picked this book up at a yard sale a few years ago and thought "Wow I didn't even know there was a book" I'd always seen the movie and just assumed there was no book about the true event. I've always liked the movie since I saw it when I was about ten I think but as soon as I picked this book up and started reading I knew I was going to like it much better and was not mistaken. I still think the movie is great but this book tells the story of the prisoners at Stalag Luft III so much better as it is written by one of the few men who managed to truly get away and come home. So moving, so exciting and so sad this book will always remain one of my favorites about what people can and will do when pushed to the extreme of their patience and stand a great memorial to the men of Stalag Luft III who made history on that cold day so long ago.
February 16, 2016
DNF. I just couldn't. It was so boring :(
August 12, 2021
Awesome. The movie is one of my all-time favorites, and this book it was based on didn't disappoint. Amazing grit, bravery, and ingenuity displayed by these Allied POWs.
June 11, 2022
Based on actual events, this book tells a story that is fast paced and fun to read.
Plenty of characters who are unique from each others and fully fleshed out.
An excellent read for fans of any genre, especially readers who enjoy a good read.
Plenty of characters who are unique from each others and fully fleshed out.
An excellent read for fans of any genre, especially readers who enjoy a good read.
February 20, 2011
The Great Escape was written some years before the film of the same name was released. The author Paul Bricknell was an inmate Stalag Luft III and helped with the famous break-out by 76 RAF prisoners of war.
As is well known of the 76 escapees 3 made it home to England, 23 were recaptured and infamously 50 were murdered, most shot at the sides of roads after capture and interrogation by the Gestapo on the orders of Adolf Hitler.
Paul Bricknell gives a wonderfully detailed account of all the work that went into the escape, not only the tunnelling, but also the manufacture of clothes, papers, compasses, maps, and rations.
Considering his personal involvement and the short span of time from the events Paul Bricknell is very even handed when describing the actions of the German's both in the prison camp and in the wider community. The book ends with the post-war investigation of the murders and the fate of those responsible.
An interesting and enjoyable read, not spoilt by having seen the film based upon it.
As is well known of the 76 escapees 3 made it home to England, 23 were recaptured and infamously 50 were murdered, most shot at the sides of roads after capture and interrogation by the Gestapo on the orders of Adolf Hitler.
Paul Bricknell gives a wonderfully detailed account of all the work that went into the escape, not only the tunnelling, but also the manufacture of clothes, papers, compasses, maps, and rations.
Considering his personal involvement and the short span of time from the events Paul Bricknell is very even handed when describing the actions of the German's both in the prison camp and in the wider community. The book ends with the post-war investigation of the murders and the fate of those responsible.
An interesting and enjoyable read, not spoilt by having seen the film based upon it.
Read
August 25, 2009These men were so ingenious, and their spirit and bravery were fantastic. The devices and systems they put in place, using only the most unpromising raw materials, were staggering. Perhaps most impressive was their ability to organise even in the face of overwhelming difficulties, and thus to make use of every ounce of potential available to them - whether in Klim tins or in the men themselves. At the same time, the reader shares the sad wish of those left behind that they hadn't bothered, had stayed inside and played cards and slept on mattresses that were actually held up.
I can't imagine how today's youth would function if in the same situation. We would probably all sit around moaning about how much we missed Facebook, how the uniforms made our bums look big, and how it was all soooooooo unfair.
I can't imagine how today's youth would function if in the same situation. We would probably all sit around moaning about how much we missed Facebook, how the uniforms made our bums look big, and how it was all soooooooo unfair.
March 11, 2016
I have grown up with the film and have always admired the bravery of these men who did their best to help win the war even though they were behind enemy lines. There were so many involved that until I was able to get further in the book it was difficult to keep people separated. But I think that is part of the appeal as well. This was an organization so well put together that most of the people in the camp were part of it in one way or another and yet they could never be completely discovered. The writing centered largely on the higher ups in the "X" organization, of course, and was largely similar to someone relating a story at dinner or in someone's living room. It was a quick read and even light-hearted in spots. Whether you have seen the movie or not, I highly recommend the book. May we never forget the fifty.
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